Multiple winding and measuring machine



April 11, 1939. W LAS E 2,153,792

MULTIPLE WINDING AND MEASURING MACHINE Filed March 15, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR Class:

April 11, 1939. w. c. CLASSE 2,153,792

MULTIPLE WINDING AND MEASURING MACHINE Y Filed March 15, 195'? 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR WC. C/asse ATTORNEY:

Patented Apr. 11, 1939 UHTED STATES PATET ()FFIQE.

William 0. Classe, Anniston, Classe Ribbon Works, Inc.,

Alabama Application March 15,

4 Claims.

My invention relates to a machine for winding shuttle cops for narrow fabric looms, braider bobbins, and bobbins for the manufacture of ribbon and tape.

My invention is particularly concerned with designing a machine to wind a plurality of bob=- bins or cops at the same time so as to place upon each finished bobbin or cop the amount of yarn to the end that, when a set of these bobbins is introduced in a ribbon weaving or braiding machine, the several bobbins will run out at the same time, thus greatly reducing the operators time required for making the changes, practically eliminating waste, and materially increasing the productive capacity of the machines.

The problem of simultaneously winding 2. plurality of bobbins, which term is herein used as inclusive of cops and like yarn carriers, so as to place upon each the same length of yarn, involves many practical i problems and requires as an essential feature a set of master winding pulleys, one for each bobbin and all connected for joint rotation, in association with independent yarn tension elements each of which exerts a control on its respective yarn strand between its winding pulley and bobbin. The winding pulleys, in accordance with existing practice, draw off the yarn through suitable tension means from the original yarn carriers, but my supplemental tension members modify the delivery of the yarn from the winding pulleys onto the bobbins. When, by reason of variation in stretch in the yarn or for any other cause, a greater amount of yarn becomes wound on one bobbin than on another connected bobbin, it results in a proportionate increase in the diameter of such bobbin and this in turn will produce a relative increase in tension on the yarn passing from its respective winding pulley to such bobbin. This increase in tension acts to bias the supplemental spring tension element engaging the strand of yarn in question and the resulting increase of tension on the yarn produces a tighter winding thereof upon such bobbin until in this way it acts gradually to restore the relative yarn balance on that particular bobbin with relation to the other connected bobbins, so that when the winding operation is completed the set of bobbins will all be found to carry, for all practical purposes, equal lengths of yarn. When bobbins so wound are placed in a weaving or braiding machine, they will all run out at the same time and will all be replaced in one opera- Ala., assignor to a corporation of 1937, Serial No. 130.966

tion, with a single shut down of the machine and with a negligible waste of finished yarn.

My invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings wherein I have illustrated one embodiment thereof applied to the winding of bobbins for the manufacture of ribbon, and in the drawingsz- Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a machine adapted to the simultaneous winding of four bobbins.

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view of Fig. 1 taken on the line 11-11.

Figs. 3 and 4 are enlarged views in front and side elevations of the supplemental tension element with its spring carrier broken away.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged cross sectional view through the periphery of a winding pulley.

Similar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

In the embodiment of my invention illustrated, I have omitted any showing of the general frame work of the Winding machine with which my invention is associated as such is susceptible of wide variation and therefore forms no essential part of my present invention. Such machines comprise suitable means for the support of the yarn carriers or spools 5 for the supply of yarn to be wound on the bobbins or receivers 6. The bobbins, in the manner well understood in this art, are all coupled in driving relation to a common horizontal drive shaft 7, shown journalled in the side legs 8 of a bearing frame 9 mounted rigidly in any suitable support on the winding machine. This shaft 1 overhangs beyond its bearings and its ends are coupled to the two bobbins next adjacent and these in turn are coupled, by suitable short transmission shafts l0, that are journalled in bearings H, to the next adjacent bobbins. This drive arrangement for a set of bobbins can obviously be extended to drive any suitable number of bobbins which it is desired to wind at one time in one machine.

The yarn is taken off overend from the carriers 5 and, since each strand of yarn is acted upon by similar control mechanisms, which are all duplicates, the description of one will suffice for all.

A yarn strand passes first through a standard, constant-tension, device [2 attached to a suitable supporting frame memher it that extends the length of the winding machine so as to support all of these devices l2. From this tension device the yarn passes counter-clockwise, as viewed in Fig. 2, about a winding pulley l4 mounted fast on a shaft l5 journalled in bearings I5 that are mounted on a common frame member ll. All of the winding pulleys are fast on this shaft 55 and each is of the grooved type having embedded in the groove a lining of rubber or like friction material I8 which the yarn engages in such manner that it will not slip on the pulley.

Having completed the circuit of the pulley, the yarn passes thence upwardly over a small variable friction pulley I9 suitably journalled upon a spring arm 20. This pulley I9 is also of the grooved type and from it the yarn passes directly to its respective bobbin 6. The spring tension element, which acts on each yarn strand in its flight from its respective winding pulley to its yarn receiver, is typical of any tension compensator which will act by its biasing action both to vary the tension on, and the length of, the yarn in such flight.

The pulley bearings I6 in the form of brackets are bolted, as shown in Fig. 2, to the frame member F. Bearing arms 2| are likewise bolted to these bearing members I6 and downwardly inclined. A shaft 22 extending the full length of the winding machine is mounted fast in these arms 2! and the supporting members 23, for the frame member [3 carrying tension elements If, are likewise rigidly mounted fast on the shaft 22. It will be understood, however, that these ele ments 22 and I3 may be supported in any other desirable manner from the Winding machine or otherwise.

Each spring arm 20 is coiled at one end about the shaft 22, one end of the coil being anchored to the shaft by the collar 24 and its set screw 25 and the other end of the coil being in engagement with an adjustable stop 26 likewise held fast on the shaft 22 by its respective set screw 21. Each stop 26 holds its respective spring arm 29 inclined forwardly in position for the strand of yarn to clear the winding pulley as it passes from the tension pulley I9 to its respective bobbin.

The grooved tension pulley I9 is mounted on the free end of its spring supporting arm in the manner shown more clearly in Figs. 3 and 4, where it will be seen that the arm 29 after passing through the groove of the pulley on one side is bent over and down at 28 and then bent at right angles horizontally to form the pulley bearing 29. This leaves the pulley groove exposed for the easy application of the yarn strand over it without requiring it to be threaded and it also uses the supporting wire both as a yielding mounting means for the pulley and also as a means to apply a variable braking action or drag thereto. As shown in Fig. 3, each pulley is held in running position on the bearing end 29 of its respective arm by springing the latter sufficiently for such arm 29 to be engaged in the pulleys groove, and when so engaged the pulley is held free for lateral play on its bearing. While each pulley bearing 29 is normally horizontally disposed, the down pull on the yarn being Wound on a bobbin causes its respective spring arm to flex at the bend connecting sections 29 and 28 and in the loop connecting sections 28 and 20 of the arm, and as its bearing end 29 becomes thus downwardly inclined toward the left, as viewed in Fig. 3, the pull of the yarn will cause such pulley to shift laterally until its right hand flange engages its spring arm 20, which thereupon will exert a braking action on the pulley I9 which will increase the tension on the flight of the yarn strand from its pulley I9 to its receiving bobbin 6. It will be noted that the pulleys I9 are so mounted as to provide a substantial length of yarn in the flight between them and the receiving bobbins, thus leaving a substantial amount of room for each arm 20 to flex downwardly responsive to any increase of tension exerted on the yarn passing over its pulley I9. As abnormal tension exerted by the yarn on any pulley l9 eases, its bearing tends to resume horizontal position when the pulley will shift toward the section 28 of the spring arm and thus free itself of frictional engagement with its spring arm 20.

The shaft I is suitably associated with the mechanism of a measuring clock 30 mounted on a bracket 3I secured to the frame I1. The clock, being of standard construction, needs no particular description beyond saying that it is adapted accurately to measure the yarn passing over the winding pulleys on shaft !5, and it is provided with an automatic trip element 32 and is driven by a gear 33 on the clock shaft 46 meshing a gear 33 on the shaft I5.

When the predetermined amount of yarn has been wound on the several bobbins, the trip 32 will be actuated and, through a pull cord 34, will draw a belt shifter mechanism which transfers the driving belt 35 for the bobbin shaft 1 from the tight pulley 38 on that shaft to the idler pulley 31 thereon. As shown, the pull cord passes under a sheave 38, having a rigid bearing 39 mounted fast on the frame element I3, and the cord passes thence to the shifter arm 40. This arm is pivoted near its center on a stud 4| and held by a spring 42 on the stud in engagement with a stop 43 on the back of the frame member 9. A coiled tension spring 44 is attached to the upper end of the arm 49 and to a stud 45 on oneend of the frame 9 and when the arm 40 is disengaged from its latch 43, the spring 44 acts to rock the shifter and throw the belt onto the idler pulley. To start up the machine, it is only necessary to throw the shifter back to latched position after setting the winding clock and placing the new empty bobbins to be Wound. The manner of operation of my invention may be thus briefly described.

As the bobbins, being coupled for a joint drive;

are turned in unison, they draw off the yarn 41 with positive action from the tension pulleys I9 to which it passes from the winding pulleys I4 which draw it past the tension members I2 from the cops or carriers 5. all fast on the same shaft I5 and being all in frictional engagement with the yarn, will all tend to draw with positive action an equal amount of yarn past the tension members I2 from their respective carriers 5, subject only to variations in stretch of the yarn between the tension members and the winding pulleys and to lack of uniformity in the action of the tension members I2. In like manner the bobbins, being all connected for a joint and uniform drive, will tend to draw equal amounts of yarn past their respective tension pulleys l9 from their respective winding pulleys I4, subject again to variation in stretch of the yarn. When, by reason of the characteristics of the yarn or the action of any part of the mecha nism, one bobbin tends to take on a greater amount of yarn than another, compensation is provided by the action of the interposed tension means I9 and 29, because, as one bobbin takes on more or less yarn relative to the others, this dif ference is reflected in its overall diameter resulting in a slower or faster take-off of the yarn from its winding pulley. This variation in takeoff of a strand between two positively driven elements must be compensated for by the tension.

The winding pulleys, being means I9, 20 and as the winding proceeds they will become displaced relatively to the corresponding tension means for the other strands. As a tension pulley is drawn toward its respective bobbin by the increased yarn demand of that bobbin, it is gradually brought under increasing tension which tends to avoid breakage of the yarn by sudden or excessive strains imposed thereon and to cause the yarn which it controls to be wound more tightly on such bobbin than is the case with the yarn being wound on adjacent bobbins that are under lighter tension. Thus, the play of the tension pulley serves as a sensitive compensator for variations in yarn demand by the bobbins caused by a tighter or looser winding or by any other cause, such as the motion of the winding traverse 48. In this Way I provide for an accurate and automatic compensation.

Moreover, it is to be noted that, as the tension comes on a tension pulley l9, the yarn riding in its V-groove will, by reason of the lateral pull of the yarn and the bending of the pulley bearing 29, tend to draw the pulley to the left, Fig. 3, which results in forcing the pulley flange more and more tightly against the spring arm 20 where it passes through the pulley groove. Thus, a braking or drag action is applied by the tension pulley automatically and in proportion to the pull of the yarn exerted on its spring arm 20, which puts a different tension on that part of the yarn running from the tension pulley ill to the bobbin as contrasted to that on the yarn running from the winding pulley to the tension pulley. This tension variation will equalize itself while the compensating action is taking place on the bobbin. Such compensation action may be effectively obtained by the play of the pulley l 9 without the braking action on it, but the latter does accelerate the compensation enabling me to wind the desired number of bobbins for use in a ribbon weaving machine so that all, though carrying as much as 800 yards of yarn, will have a variation of less than two yards in length of yarn. In other words, I reduce the variation in length of yarn from the present practice, which runs from 2 to 3% in a set of bobbins, to less than a quarter of 1%. This variation is so slight that all of the bobbins can be changed and replaced at one time without any appreciable Waste of finished yarn.

While I have shown my invention in but one form, it will be. obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various changes and modifications, without departing from the spirit thereof, and I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereupon as are imposed by the prior art or as are specifically set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim is:--

1. In a winding machine, a common means for eifecting the delivery of equal lengths of yarn to form a plurality of strands to be Wound on receivers, a plurality of jointly rotated bobbins to receive said strands, and means to insure the application of equal lengths of yarn on said bobbins, comprising a set of spring arms and a tension regulating guide on the free end of each arm over which a strand of yarn is deflected as it passes from said delivery means to a bobbin, the guides being set in position for their arms to flex and displace them relatively responsive to any relative variation in tension coming on their respective strands, and each guide being a pulley mounted so as to engage its supporting arm as it is displaced with braking eifect to increase the drag on the passing yarn responsive to an increase in the tension on the yarn strand it controls, thereby more tightly to wind the bobbin it controls.

2. In a winding machine, a set of grooved Winding pulleys fast on a common shaft and having a friction lining in their grooves, a bobbin for each pulley, means to rotate said bobbins in unison, a set of spring arms, one for each pulley, and a grooved guide sheave mounted on each arm, said arms being mounted in position for their respective sheaves to engage and bias the strands of yarn passing between said pulleys and bobbins.

3. In a winding machine, a set of grooved winding pulleys fast on a common shaft and having a friction lining in their grooves, a bobbin for each pulley, means torotate said bobbins in unison, a set of spring arms, one for each pulley, and a grooved guide sheave mounted on each arm, said arms being mounted in position for their respective sheaves to engage and bias the strands of yarn passing between said pulleys and bobbins, and said sheaves being journalled on their respective spring arms free to shift laterally against their respective spring arms as a brake element, responsive to tension on the yarn strand they carry.

4. In a winding machine, a set of grooved winding pulleys fast on a common shaft and having a friction lining in their grooves, a bobbin for each pulley, means to rotate said bobbins in unison, a set of spring arms, one for each pulley, and a grooved guide sheave mounted loosely on each arm, said arms being mounted in position for their respective sheaves to engage and bias the strands of yarn passing between said pulleys and bobbins, and said sheaves being loosely journalled on the free ends of their respective spring arms which are disposed in position to bend responsive to tension on the yarn strand they carry, and permit their respective pulleys to shift into frictional engagement with their respective arm.

WILLIAM C. CLASSE. 

